Last normally aspirated diesel?
Discussion
I like NA diesels. I used to drive a NA diesel T5 VW Transporter for work. OK, so it wasn't fast, but it had a nice response and power delivery without the ridiculously narrow powerband you get with a turbodiesel. It even had proper bottom end torque unlike any TD I've ever driven. The older T4 transporter came with a 5 pot NA diesel. It provided absolutely legendary reliability and sounded nice to boot.
I don't know of any NA diesels on sale now. If someone did one I'd probably buy it. I'm currently driving a PSA TD lump. Every time I drive it I wonder if today's the day the turbo will blow up. Hate modern diesels.
I don't know of any NA diesels on sale now. If someone did one I'd probably buy it. I'm currently driving a PSA TD lump. Every time I drive it I wonder if today's the day the turbo will blow up. Hate modern diesels.
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For the record I utterly love my non turbo 1.7 SDI Seat Arosa.
Its not quick but it can keep up with traffic - the power delivery is pretty nice and smooth.
I was expecting the worse car ever especially going from an LS400 but it surprised me - so much so I've kept it a year and done a few euro trips to Spa etc and I'm not getting rid of it any time soon.
I've got something fun that gets used now and then which may be joined by another weekend car soon but the Arousal will be staying for a while yet.
Oh an the highest MPG I've seen is 73MPG so far and the lowest is 48MPG - I calculated this every fill up since I got the car.
Its not quick but it can keep up with traffic - the power delivery is pretty nice and smooth.
I was expecting the worse car ever especially going from an LS400 but it surprised me - so much so I've kept it a year and done a few euro trips to Spa etc and I'm not getting rid of it any time soon.
I've got something fun that gets used now and then which may be joined by another weekend car soon but the Arousal will be staying for a while yet.
Oh an the highest MPG I've seen is 73MPG so far and the lowest is 48MPG - I calculated this every fill up since I got the car.
Fully preparing myself for a flaming here!
I've got a very nice, immaculate even Mk2 Scirocco GTX. Only the 1.8 injection that had given 25 years sterling service was removed for a 1.6 n/a diesel!
For 10 years I had 112bhp and around 120lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 8 and a Plod verified 123mph at the top end.
I've now got 54bhp and a wholesome 74lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 18 and a GPS verified 94mph at the top end.
Is it a total unmitigated disaster? No! 95% of the time, my motoring is unaffected by the lower output. The real downside is uphill slip roads onto motorways where mechanical sympathy must be abandoned! It'll cruise all day long at 85mph.
Why did I do it? Simple - the cost of fuel. I was contemplating getting rid of a car I'd owned since 1999 due to the cost of
Fuel and swapping it for a horrid ecobox. Being rather attached to it, I decided I'd make it into my very own ecobox!
1.8 petrol economy: Urban 25mpg. 70mph 38mpg.
1.6 diesel economy: Urban 55mpg. 70mph 63mpg. I did a 250 mile round trip doing 55ish mph and it did 73mpg!!
Makes me feel quite smug with current fuel prices! If I want petrol performance I just take the Elise out for a spin. I do love my old tech 'Bluemotion' Scirocco and much prefer n/a diesel power delivery to turbo delivery. It'll pull off in 2nd without fuss or complaint which a lot of modern diesels seem to find impossible.
I've got a very nice, immaculate even Mk2 Scirocco GTX. Only the 1.8 injection that had given 25 years sterling service was removed for a 1.6 n/a diesel!
For 10 years I had 112bhp and around 120lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 8 and a Plod verified 123mph at the top end.
I've now got 54bhp and a wholesome 74lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 18 and a GPS verified 94mph at the top end.
Is it a total unmitigated disaster? No! 95% of the time, my motoring is unaffected by the lower output. The real downside is uphill slip roads onto motorways where mechanical sympathy must be abandoned! It'll cruise all day long at 85mph.
Why did I do it? Simple - the cost of fuel. I was contemplating getting rid of a car I'd owned since 1999 due to the cost of
Fuel and swapping it for a horrid ecobox. Being rather attached to it, I decided I'd make it into my very own ecobox!
1.8 petrol economy: Urban 25mpg. 70mph 38mpg.
1.6 diesel economy: Urban 55mpg. 70mph 63mpg. I did a 250 mile round trip doing 55ish mph and it did 73mpg!!
Makes me feel quite smug with current fuel prices! If I want petrol performance I just take the Elise out for a spin. I do love my old tech 'Bluemotion' Scirocco and much prefer n/a diesel power delivery to turbo delivery. It'll pull off in 2nd without fuss or complaint which a lot of modern diesels seem to find impossible.
A non-turbo w124 diesel was one of the favourite cars I've had. Yes it was slow, yes it was smelly and yes I felt like a Greek taxi driver but it made a lovely marine like hum at speed and refused to break. It was just a nice place to be.
My current Mondeo TDCi is much faster and more economical but just so characterless.
My current Mondeo TDCi is much faster and more economical but just so characterless.
Clearly not a car but my last van was a 2008 berlingo with the n/a 1.9d psa seem to have made forever. It was fine, not as quick or economical as the hdi's available but it was perfectly reliable.
Strangely, it did 40mpg regardless of the road or way I dove it. I'm quite geeky so did propped brim to brim tests every fillup and from rush hour traffic through Birmingham residential roads to 55mph along the motorway the mpg never differed more than 2. Why is this? Or was it broke!?
Strangely, it did 40mpg regardless of the road or way I dove it. I'm quite geeky so did propped brim to brim tests every fillup and from rush hour traffic through Birmingham residential roads to 55mph along the motorway the mpg never differed more than 2. Why is this? Or was it broke!?
Wafflesmk2 said:
The focus is so much more fun to drive. Diesel Torque is much more fun than the petrol. I know the petrol comes into its own at 70+mph, but when do i ever need to go that fast?
Yeah, when I take the Caterhan for a run, at speeds below 70mph I often think that a diesel would be better..."I know the petrol comes into its own at 70+mph..." Seriously, WTF are you talking about?
I used to have a 1.7 NA diesel in an astra (mk3, estate) and aside from its complete lack of speed, (65bhp iirc) i actually quite like the way it delivered its power, it wasn't peaky like modern diesels, it just offered an ok amount of torque, right through the rev range. I always felt that if it was twice the size, and with twice the number of cylinders it'd have been great in the right vehicle. Like a 4x4, or even a big saloon, it did high 60's mpg wise, and ran great on veggy oil (tesco's bought rapeseed oil, before it became more expensive than diesel), i always felt it ran quieter and faster on chipfat.
I think GMC and ford both did big diesel na v8's. (supplied in early f2/350's similar american gmc stuff an i believe also the aussie version of the chevrolet suburban.) I like the idea. Though it wouldn't be brilliant on fuel, they'ed sound good and offer a nice way of delivering power (even if it was a relatively low amount). I think the gmc engine is one of the favoured swaps for land rovers.
I think GMC and ford both did big diesel na v8's. (supplied in early f2/350's similar american gmc stuff an i believe also the aussie version of the chevrolet suburban.) I like the idea. Though it wouldn't be brilliant on fuel, they'ed sound good and offer a nice way of delivering power (even if it was a relatively low amount). I think the gmc engine is one of the favoured swaps for land rovers.
MJK 24 said:
Fully preparing myself for a flaming here!
I've got a very nice, immaculate even Mk2 Scirocco GTX. Only the 1.8 injection that had given 25 years sterling service was removed for a 1.6 n/a diesel!
For 10 years I had 112bhp and around 120lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 8 and a Plod verified 123mph at the top end.
I've now got 54bhp and a wholesome 74lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 18 and a GPS verified 94mph at the top end.
Is it a total unmitigated disaster? No! 95% of the time, my motoring is unaffected by the lower output. The real downside is uphill slip roads onto motorways where mechanical sympathy must be abandoned! It'll cruise all day long at 85mph.
Why did I do it? Simple - the cost of fuel. I was contemplating getting rid of a car I'd owned since 1999 due to the cost of
Fuel and swapping it for a horrid ecobox. Being rather attached to it, I decided I'd make it into my very own ecobox!
1.8 petrol economy: Urban 25mpg. 70mph 38mpg.
1.6 diesel economy: Urban 55mpg. 70mph 63mpg. I did a 250 mile round trip doing 55ish mph and it did 73mpg!!
Makes me feel quite smug with current fuel prices! If I want petrol performance I just take the Elise out for a spin. I do love my old tech 'Bluemotion' Scirocco and much prefer n/a diesel power delivery to turbo delivery. It'll pull off in 2nd without fuss or complaint which a lot of modern diesels seem to find impossible.
If only someone had told you about LPG...I've got a very nice, immaculate even Mk2 Scirocco GTX. Only the 1.8 injection that had given 25 years sterling service was removed for a 1.6 n/a diesel!
For 10 years I had 112bhp and around 120lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 8 and a Plod verified 123mph at the top end.
I've now got 54bhp and a wholesome 74lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 18 and a GPS verified 94mph at the top end.
Is it a total unmitigated disaster? No! 95% of the time, my motoring is unaffected by the lower output. The real downside is uphill slip roads onto motorways where mechanical sympathy must be abandoned! It'll cruise all day long at 85mph.
Why did I do it? Simple - the cost of fuel. I was contemplating getting rid of a car I'd owned since 1999 due to the cost of
Fuel and swapping it for a horrid ecobox. Being rather attached to it, I decided I'd make it into my very own ecobox!
1.8 petrol economy: Urban 25mpg. 70mph 38mpg.
1.6 diesel economy: Urban 55mpg. 70mph 63mpg. I did a 250 mile round trip doing 55ish mph and it did 73mpg!!
Makes me feel quite smug with current fuel prices! If I want petrol performance I just take the Elise out for a spin. I do love my old tech 'Bluemotion' Scirocco and much prefer n/a diesel power delivery to turbo delivery. It'll pull off in 2nd without fuss or complaint which a lot of modern diesels seem to find impossible.
MJK 24 said:
I've got a very nice, immaculate even Mk2 Scirocco GTX. Only the 1.8 injection that had given 25 years sterling service was removed for a 1.6 n/a diesel!
For 10 years I had 112bhp and around 120lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 8 and a Plod verified 123mph at the top end.
I've now got 54bhp and a wholesome 74lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 18 and a GPS verified 94mph at the top end.
Makes me feel quite smug with current fuel prices!
That would make me feel suicidal. The bit I don't understand is this would make a vague kind of sense if the car is purely an object to get you to work and back rather than something that brings you pleasure to drive. But that is contradicted by you being unable to sell it because you've owned it for so long. You should have kept it original, Scirocco's are getting pretty thin on the ground now.For 10 years I had 112bhp and around 120lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 8 and a Plod verified 123mph at the top end.
I've now got 54bhp and a wholesome 74lbs/ft of torque. 0-60 in 18 and a GPS verified 94mph at the top end.
Makes me feel quite smug with current fuel prices!
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